Serves 4 to 6
Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup for our souls. But what if our souls didn’t need Chicken Noodle Soup? What if we were feeling perfectly fine and just had a hankering for brothy, herby goodness? Maybe it’s time to start slurping chick’n noodle soup “just because.” This version is ridiculously easy. Yuba brings the chewy, un-chicken-y goodness, and angel hair pasta is the ideal noodle – it cooks up the second it even sees a simmering pot.
Dried yuba is one of those ingredients I always keep on hand. It’s cheap, lives happily in your pantry forever, and cooks up fast. Plus, it’s protein-y and has this great chewy texture that’s versatile enough to work in just about anything, but especially floating like ribbons in this soup.
Even if your soul is just dandy, this soup brings that wrapped-in-a-blanket, watching-Hallmark-movies comfort. When I was little, I always ate Chicken Noodle Soup with buttered Wonder Bread. Maybe you can find something more sophisticated?
This recipe for vegan Yuba Chick’n Noodle Soup is from my upcoming book The 29-Minute Vegan! Available to preorder. It should take about 30 minutes to make. We accomplish that by prepping as we go and packing in lots of savory flavor with chick’n style broth and poultry seasoning. Celery and fresh dill are the final additions that make this soup sing from the rooftops that it’s chicken noodle time. But bundle up on that rooftop because it’s cold out there.
Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup FAQ
What is yuba? Yuba is tofu skin, made from the film that forms on top of soy milk when it’s cooking. It’s sold fresh or dry, but here we are using dry. You can get it in sheets or sticks at Asian grocery stores and online. It’s cheap, shelf-stable, packed with protein, and has a great chewy texture. I’ve never gotten a brand I didn’t like!
What do you mean by “crush yuba into large pieces”? Dried yuba sheets are big and brittle. Just break them up with your hands into bite-sized pieces before adding them to the pot. You don’t want huge sheets floating around. Sticks can go in as-is since they’ll soften and break down.
Can I use something other than yuba? Yes. Shredded seitan, soy curls, or cubed extra-firm tofu all work. The yuba gives a unique chewy, ribbony texture but the soup is forgiving so have fun and make it your own.
Is it okay to use a different pasta? Angel hair is ideal because it cooks in minutes, but any thin noodle works. Fettuccine broken into pieces, rice noodles, or even macaroni. Just adjust the cooking time.
How can I make this gluten-free? Easy. Use gluten-free pasta and make sure your broth is gluten-free. The yuba is naturally gluten-free.
What broth should I use? A chickeny vegan broth makes the biggest difference. Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No Chicken Base is a great shortcut, or use my Homemade Vegetarian Chicken Broth recipe.
Poultry seasoning. What is it? It’s a spice blend that usually contains sage, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram. Some brands include ginger. It may or may not contain salt, so go easy at first and taste as you go. Frontier Co-op and Penzey’s both make good ones.
Can I make this ahead of time? You can, but the pasta will absorb the broth as it sits. Cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl when serving. Unless you don’t mind kind of bloated pasta in your soup, then it’s fine.
Yuba Chick’n Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 cups baby carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 3 ounces dried yuba
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 cups vegan chicken-flavored broth or vegetable stock
- 6 ounces angel hair pasta
- Handful of fresh dill about 1/2 cup, plus extra for garnish
- Buttered bread for serving
Instructions
- Preheat a soup pot over medium heat.
- Dice onion and sauté in 2 tablespoons olive oil with a pinch of salt.
- While the onion is cooking, chop the baby carrots into 1/2 inch pieces, and dice the celery. Add them to the pot and cook 5 more minutes or until celery is softened.
- Crush yuba into large pieces and add to pot. Add poultry seasoning, onion powder, salt, pepper, and 6 cups broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes or until yuba is tender.
- Break angel hair pasta into thirds and add to pot. Simmer 3 minutes or until al dente.
- Chop fresh dill and add to pot. Remove from heat. Thin with water if needed and adjust seasoning.
- Ladle into bowls and sprinkle on more fresh dill. Serve with buttered bread.
Can you recommend a yuba to buy?
Any dry yuba, I have never gone wrong! If buying online, just look for the ones with good reviews.
Can you tell me more about yuba? Do you buy it as dried sticks? What do you mean by “crush yuba into large pieces”?
The dried sticks work! The sheets need to be crushed so you don’t have huge pieces floating around and they are bite sized.
Do you make your yuba, or buy it? I’d appreciate the brand that you like, or the recipe. Thanks
I just buy it at H-mart. The dry kind.
Thanks!
I love this use of yuba! I had some “soy chops” in the cupboard waiting for a good use, and this was perfect. I added some nutritional yeast and a squeeze of lemon at the end for a little extra oomph!
yum
Perfect for on a Midwest snowy day!!
Easy and delicious!
Is Yuba the same thing as Inari?
I didn’t know I needed Yuba in my life but have made this recipe three times now and it’s quickly becoming my go-to cold day soup.
ah so happy to hear it!
Wow! This soup is so delicious, especially for one so fast and easy. I’ve made it twice. There are only two of us, but it’s gone on day two.
This soup is amazing. We are adding it to our regular rotation. The fresh dill is a lovely touch. We used better than bouillon no chicken base. This was our first recipe using yuba and now we are hooked.
Loved this a lot! I had dried yuba from HMart. Used some Fideo pasta since I didn’t have angel hair. Served it with a little no lettuce Greek salad.